What process should I expect a designer to follow?
When you work with a kitchen designer, you don’t have to give up control of your plans or turn all the remodeling work over to other craftsmen. Think of yourself as the movie producer and of the kitchen designer as the movie director. You can be intimately involved in every detail of the project and even do some of the hands-on work. But when you do need someone to handle logistics, whether it’s ordering products or coordinating contractors’ schedules, the designer can step in.

A designer will typically:

• Visit your home to take measurements.
• Create a design and draft perspectives, elevations, and a floor plan.
•  Develop a detailed budget and schedule.
• Order products and materials.
• Coordinate work with construction, painting, and other contractors.
• Oversee the installation and placement of the cabinets and other design elements.

Be sure to clarify up front who will be responsible for the contractors. Some design firms will coordinate the contractors’ work only after you have selected and come to separate agreements with each. The design firm may make recommendations for which contractors you should use, but it may not have its own employees who perform these jobs.

How much do designers charge?
The designer may charge a fee of $50 to $150 per hour or a retainer of $300 to $5,000 per job. Often the designer’s payment will be taken off the total cost of the job if you end up buying your new kitchen from him or her.

According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, most firms require a down payment of 50 percent of the total cost of the job when you sign a contract. They expect another 40-percent payment when the cabinets are delivered and the balance when the job is completed. The total cost of the job will largely depend on the type of materials you select.